Hey, everyone! What is your special interest?

If you had to give a TEDtalk in 20 minutes, and you had to talk about ONE subject for an hour, what would you talk about?

1 email to 1 partner. International.

No swap requirements on this one EXCEPT to have a well-filled out profile with a "last logged in" date. Otherwise, it looks like a bot account.

Because there is nothing 'lost' by e-mailing, if you do not get an e-mail in the time specified, message me. I'll send you a copy of mine. <3 You can rate your partner any way you want.

You can write this e-mail in advance and save it in Drafts, so you don't have to wait until partners are assigned.

This is being rated Type 3 because of how much work it entails.

A special interest is NOT the same thing as a hobby.

Most people have hobbies of some kind. Not nearly as many have a special interest. The difference is considerable! So what IS the difference?

A special interest is often engulfing. A person wants to learn allll about their SI, and often goes off on related topics to also learn about those in-depth. A person interested in fabrics might not just sew some things. They might also go off to do deep-dives about weaving types, how to make different fibers, growing seasons of linen or cotton, attempt weaving or spinning yarn to get a taste of it, think about different dye types and how to make those, etc.

A hobby is something you like to do. Maybe it's just relaxing, you enjoy painting or something. It can be social (like painting classes with others.) But you kind of just want to paint things. You probably don't get into the details of chemical differences in types of red pigment, why gesso works on X paint but ruins Y paint, etc.

A hobbyist might like painting with acrylics because "you like how it looks better" or "oils are hard to work with."

A SI in painting might sound like "oils are harder to work with because ______, they're made by ______ so they take longer to cure. The great thing about that, though, is _____."

An SI can be on ANY topic. It can be on why ants have six legs instead of four or two. It can be on how bell peppers don't have a 'male' or 'female' fruit, despite what memes will say. It can be on the history of fancy French hairdos in 1700s paintings.

People with special interests are often shut down, excluded, made fun of, or otherwise immediately disliked once we start talking about them. Unless you have the connections and money to make it into academia, where your special interest is Very Much Wanted, other people seem to have Problems with it.

Why are we so annoying, why are we so obsessed, why why why (translation: shut up and leave.)

and then people talk about how... they're bored. THE WORLD IS SO COOL THOUGH, HOW ARE YOU BORED?!

idk about others but it feels like every time, i get stupid. when someone says they like (topic) i get excited because i love (topic) too! and then I want to talk about (topic) and the other person is suddenly upset for unknown reasons. and I'm the weird one for... actually... being interested... in the topic... beyond superficial stuff...

lol k

SO NOW IS THE CHANCE TO TELL US!

what is your special interest? what are you obsessed with, and have been for awhile?

why do you like it? does it appeal to routines, structure, sensory experiences? was someone you really like also into this thing? how did you discover this passion? if i wanted to start, where would i look for resources? if i wanted just a taste of what this thing is like, what are some ideas to experience it? what are some facts about this subject you would like people to know?

You can add photos and links to videos or blogs about your SI, too. In fact, please do!

I only ask that you PLEASE do not dive in to topics that could be 'sensitive' or triggering for others without warning, like child abuse, how the American butchering industry works, modern slave trades, etc.

If those are also interests, you can always list them at the bottom of the email, such as "I also have a lot of data on (subjects,) if you want some details on those."